Cuppa Java (Coffee) Jelly

I was enjoying a coffee hard candy one day, and thought to myself — I’ve been inspired to make jam from different desserts I’ve had… why not a candy…

And so I embarked on a months long adventure, playing with turning coffee into a jelly.  Time and time again I would use a different coffee, only to have the coffee flavor end up tasting thin… or flat.  After a while I thought that it might be because I’m a tea drinker usually, so I put the idea aside, to be revisited another day.

Fast forward to my recent trip to Seattle… while I was there, I took part in a Coffee Tasting, and man, did that open my eyes!!  I realized that the trouble I was having with my Coffee Jelly boiled down to the coffees I was using!  I took copious notes, settled on a favorite amongst the coffees I tasted that day, and when I got back home, I ordered a bag.  That favorite?  Premium Hawaiian Kona Coffee.  With my newly acquired coffee in hand, I set about making my Coffee Jelly once again, and the difference flavor wise was staggering and astounding… The flavor was pronounced, but not too bold, but instead of tasting and feeling flat, the flavor kept blooming, and blooming… The taste, and the experience, was AMAZING!  Like a REALLY GOOD coffee candy, but ‘mo betta’!

A couple of suggestions for this delectable jelly… use it in a Tiramisu; spread it on a slice of toasted pound cake, or perhaps a shortbread cookie… Now that I’ve got your mind going… 🙂

Enjoy!!